David Copperfield, 67, is an American magician who has been in the industry for 40 years. His TV specials have been nominated for 38 Emmy Awards, winning 21.
With 11 Guinness World Records and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it’s no wonder he has sold 33 million tickets and grossed over $5 billion – more than any other solo entertainer in history.
Despite the glitz and glamour associated with his performances, some of his show attendees have come forward to say that their experiences at his magic shows were… not so appropriate.
16 Women Accuse David Copperfield
16 women have come forward to accuse Copperfield of engaging in sexual misconduct and inappropriate behaviour, Guardian US reported.
Over half of the allegations are from women who said they were minors, or under 18, at the time of the incidents, and even as young as 15.
Claims against Copperfield span almost three decades from the late 1980s to 2014.
Copperfield Denied Allegations
When asked about the claims, Copperfield denied wrongdoing of any kind.
In response to the Guardian, his lawyers wrote that Copperfield has “never acted inappropriately with anyone, let alone anyone underage.”
According to his lawyers, a “truthful” depiction of the magician would talk about his “kindness, shyness and treatment of men and women with respect”.
Copperfield’s lawyers also said he is a champion of the #MeToo movement, which empowers women who have been sexually assaulted, through empathy, solidarity, and strength in numbers. The movement encourages women to come forward and share about their alleged abuse.
According to the lawyers, there had previously been “numerous false claims” alleged against Copperfield.
Allegedly Drugged and Sexually Assaulted Women
One of the 16 women who have come forward is Brittney Lewis, who came forward in 2018 to accuse Copperfield of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 1988, when she was a 17-year-old model.
Copperfield denied the claims back then.
Speaking to the Guardian, a woman, who chose to not be named, said she and her friend had also been drugged, and that both of them were unable to consent before Copperfield had sex with each of them.
According to her, she had agreed to meet Copperfield for a drink in 1993, following one of his shows.
Lawyers Say Drugs Are “Not a Part of His World”
Copperfield’s lawyers denied the unnamed woman’s allegations and said no such claims or complaints had been made against him at venues he was performing in at the time.
According to his lawyers, drugs are “not a part of his world”.
Were Groped Or Made to Touch Him in a Sexual Way During Performances
You may be familiar with Magic Mike.
During the show, some members of the audience may be selected for audience participation. These members will be taken onto stage and will be involved in parts of the performance.
Despite the word “magic” in Magic Mike, the show is more of a blend of dancing, stripping, and acrobatics, with a lesser emphasis on magic.
You’d expect audience participation to be a little more… sensual in nature during Magic Mike, but audience members chosen by Copperfield wouldn’t have expect this.
According to four women, Copperfield had groped them or made them touch him in a sexual way during live audience participation on stage.
Three of the four were teenagers at the time of the alleged incidents.
Family members of one 15-year-old who were seated in the audience allege they witnessed Copperfield grope her breasts.
38-year-old Fallon Thorton told the Guardian that the illusionist squeezed her breast after calling her on stage during a performance in 2014.
Records show that Thorton reported the allegation to the venue of the performance – MGM Grand casino-hotel – and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, but she felt her claim was never taken seriously.
The Las Vegas police reportedly closed the case due to lack of evidence.
Claims Are “Not Only Completely False But Also Entirely Implausible”
Copperfield’s lawyers said claims that Copperfield touched women inappropriately were “not only completely false but also entirely implausible”.
They also alleged that the law enforcement at the time told Copperfield’s team that video footage of the performance Thorton attended did not show him touching “the chest area” of any participant.
However, despite requests, neither Copperfield’s lawyers, Las Vegas police nor MGM shared footage of the performance with the Guardian.
Gifts and Tickets
Another woman claimed that after meeting Copperfield at one of his shows in 1991, he began calling her late at night. She was 15 at the time and said she now feels she had been “groomed”.
She told the Guardian that Copperfield had sent her gifts and tickets to his shows. After she turned 18, he allegedly took her virginity consensually.
Copperfield’s lawyers said that the illusionist and the teenager had been in a wholly legal and consensual relationship that lasted four years.
His lawyers said he “strongly denies any suggestion of grooming or any other impropriety”.
Copperfield Was On The Epstein List
Earlier this year, the magician was faced with scrutiny due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein Island has been talked about for a while now, but in case you’re out of the loop, Jeffrey Epstein was an indicted child sex trafficker who killed himself in prison five years ago.
Earlier this year, court documents were unsealed, revealing a list of individuals connected to Epstein.
The list contains more than 150 names, though being on the list does not mean one committed a crime. Names of individuals accused of wrongdoing, as well as those who only worked for or had only slight connection to Epstein were included on the list.
Other than Copperfield, names on the list included Donald Trump, Bill Gates, and Stephen Hawking.
Reportedly, Copperfield asked one woman – who, it later emerged, was one of Epstein’s victims – whether she was “aware that girls were getting paid to find other girls” for Epstein.
According to his lawyers, Copperfield had heard a “rumor” about this but had “no knowledge or belief that anything improper was going on”.
They also said he had seen “no reason to contact law enforcement or to raise the matter with others” after the women he asked did not express any concerns.
Copperfield’s lawyers said he did not regularly socialise with Epstein.
“Our client did not know about Epstein’s horrific crimes,” his lawyers said. “Like the rest of the world, he learned about it from the press.”
Copperfield was accused of luring a woman to his private Caribbean island and raping her in 2007, though the investigation was closed in 2010 without bringing charges.
The woman was then handed charges for prostitution.
She filed a civil lawsuit, which was dropped shortly after.